A/N: A gift for Roningirlkisa for inspiring this idea and being such an enthusiastic and encouraging fan of my fic Kiss of Iron.

Sunshine

Summary: What if Uar the Cruel HAD touched his wife again after the birth o his twin girls? What if he'd gotten a third daughter, a daughter who took Besaba's place in the Peace Treaty? How would Essus's life be, with a wife who was willing to love him and their daughter?

Beginning

Heulwen has always had mixed feelings about her family.

Her father was a beautiful Seelie Lord, the King's brother, and that alone deserved admiration… But he was not called Uar the Cruel for no reason. Heulwen had witnessed him beating her mother viciously, trying to get her to agree to a divorce, and she had seen the results of his cruelty first hand as a child, when she'd made the mistake of asking after her half-brothers, his monstrous firstborn sons, who were Unseelie now. He had broken her jaw that day, and her arm, and she had never gone within arms reach of him again.

Her mother, Hettie, was Half-Brownie, Half-Human, and her mixed blood was a smear on the golden beauty of their Court… But she was loving and kind and beautiful, in her own way. She was as well mannered as any of the Seelie Ladies Heulwen had seen, sometimes more so, and had taught her daughters the fine arts of etiquette and manners… She was the kindest woman Heulwen had ever met, and for that alone she would always love her mother.

Eluned was cool water, reflective and bright and beautiful, with red hair of the Seelie Court and eyes that were mingling green and gold. She looked the part of a Seelie, and she knew it, and rubbed her sister's faces in it. She never hesitated to remind Besaba of the fact that she had married a Seelie Lord, had born him a daughter, while Besaba remained unwanted and untouched, despite her wishes.

Of course, Besaba (plain, brown-haired-and-eyed Besaba, who looked more human than sidhe, who oozed bitterness and desperation and the need to fit into a Court that would never properly accept her), was quick to remind their eldest sister that her daughter, Cair, had come out looking just like their mother, and wasn't that a cruel thing to say? Heulwen adored children, even if she did have some reservations about her niece, who had the face of a Brownie. She had learned that day when her Father struck her, that the Golden Court was full of cruelties, and she would not be one of the ones to drape it beneath her golden light to pull out when needed.

So, she made a point to care for her niece, and take her to visit her grandmother when Eluned refused, so that she might learn etiquette and manners the same way her mother did. The young girl was bitter already, but Heulwen hoped that, with time and a loving touch, she would heal.

When their Uncle, King Taranis, suggested a marriage between a Seelie Lady and the Unseelie Prince, there was much dispute. Besaba was offered the marriage, a three-year-long arrangement, after which she would be granted a Seelie Lord lover. She was mighty tempted, Heulwen knew, until she asked about the likelihood of pregnancy. Reminded that, should she fall pregnant as quickly as Eluned had (A single night with Artagan, trapping him forever), she would be forever married to the Unseelie Court, Besaba refused.

"I will do it," Heulwen decided, stepping forward and meeting their beautiful King's glamored eyes, so thick was his illusions that she had only vague recollections of the truly beautiful green-on-green-on-green they actually were beneath the beautiful blue he hid them with. "I will accept the marriage," she announced; the King agreed.

This Prince could be no worse than Uar, and, if he was, Heulwen would take a page out of her mother's book, and make him beg for a divorce.

~(Line Break)~

Essus had yet to see his Seelie Bride, he knew only that her name was Heulwen NicUar, Daughter of Uar, and that, with their marriage, she would become simply Heulwen, Bride of Peace. He knew she was of mixed blood, which he also knew was a slight against him from the Seelie Courts point of View, but was actually a relief to him. She would fit far better into the Unseelie Court with her mixed blood than if she had been Pure Seelie.

Dressed in black and red formal wear, the Prince of Flesh and Flames turned to face the door when his betrothed stepped through, and he eyed her with approval.

Heulwen had pale gold hair that reached her knees, braided back in what he believed was called a fishtail braid, clasped at the bottom with a jeweled flower. Her skin was a softly gleaming cream color, not quite the glorious moonbeam pale most of the sidhe were, but still lovely all the same. She was wearing a flowing white dress with silver and gold embroideries, small flowers and swirling patterns that pulled the eye to her small bosom and lean form. Her eyes were a little more round than was natural, and held only two rings. A ring of dark gold around her pupil, and a ring of honey brown outside of that, but they were still lovely.

Essus gave the younger sidhe a reassuring smile, offering her his arm when she finally reached him. Heulwen gave him a distant, polite smile in return, and Essus turned his focus on the walk down and into the Court, where his sister and Taranis would declare them wed.

As he walked beside his new bride, Essus could only hope that this marriage would either produce fruit, or end quickly, he did not know which he preferred yet.

~(Line Break)~

Prince Essus, Prince of Flesh and Flame was… Acceptable, Heulwen supposed. His hair was the garnet red found within the Unseelie, his eyes the color of flames, with three rings of red and yellow and orange all spiraling around his pupils. His skin was that moonbeam pale that her sister Besaba coveted, and he was tall and lithe with muscles that told her he was far from a lazy Royal.

So, here she was, married to a handsome full-blooded sidhe Prince, in the Dark Court, surrounded by people and creatures that she had been raised to fear and hate… But she knew she must preserver against those teachings, if she was going to make this marriage work. So, she took the same path she had at the Seelie Court. She sat beside her husband in silence, and observed, listening to those around them, watching them, learning, while never drawing too much attention to herself from any but her Husband, who was polite and surprisingly kind, as well as cunning.

And, soon, she found herself liking the Unseelie Court. Some things still disgusted her, like the Queen's attitude and insanity, and the common nudity made her nervous and uncomfortable, but it was still a Sidhe Court. There were still those who disliked the Unclean, as they called them, and she found it surprisingly comforting when, four months after her marriage, some idiot lordling had called her a Half-breed, because it reminded her of home…

Of course, watching Essus challenge the fool for insulting his wife, and watching him win, was a surprise, but a pleasant one. She made sure to show her appreciation that night by pulling him from his paperwork and into their bedroom.

It is safe to say that she definitely enjoyed that part of the marriage, to say the least.

~(Line Break)~

Heulwen had found herself falling more and more in love with Essus as the months went by. He was kind, intelligent, gentle, and cunning. He made the best hot chocolate Heulwen had ever tasted, and he taught her about his Court rather than leaving her alone to observe. He introduced her to the Goblins and their culture which, while horrifying and intimidating to her Seelie uprising, she was slowly coming to understand.

That wasn't to say he was perfect, oh no. He could be ruthless, selfish, and possessive, he snored, and he stole the covers. He spoke in some strange code at times, when he was meeting with some of his comrades and didn't want her to know what they were talking about. He could be arrogant and smug and sometimes condescending, but, well, she knew she was far from perfect as well, and that hadn't stopped him from telling her he loved her.

He made her smile and laugh and feel better than she ever had in the Seelie Court, and, when she missed her old home, he would distract her with some new bauble or a surprise visit to see her mother.

She didn't know how well this marriage would work out, whether he would change or she would, but, when she discovered she was pregnant, it did not stop her from being optimistic and hopeful.

They would be married in truth, now, and this child would be their Light in this Dark Court.

~(Line Break)~

Their daughter was beautiful.

She had her father's scarlet hair and moonbeam skin, but had gotten Seelie eyes of jade and emerald and gold. Watching as the infant yawned adorably from where she rested in her father's arms, Heulwen smiled brightly, eyes burning with tears as her heart seemed to rise up in her throat, the love she felt nearly overwhelming for the Half-Seelie Princess.

"What will you name her?" Essus asked softly as he stepped closer to carefully sit on the bed at Heulwen's feet. She'd been confined to bed rest, her body weakened badly by her difficult labor. Heulwen smiled at his question. She had thought long and hard upon this, every day since she'd first felt her child kick. She had scoured through name after name, discarding and deciding on dozens, all before she had found out she was going to have a girl, after which the process started all over again. As a result, however, she'd come up with the perfect name.

"Meredith," she told him softly, reaching forward and stroking gentle fingers over her daughters rounded cheek. "Meredith Hettie NicEssus, Daughter of Essus, Child of Peace." She had picked the name with him in mind. Meredith, after his dead mother Meredyth, who had held control of liquid fire. Hettie, after her own mother who, without, she would not have decided to give love in this marriage a try. NicEssus, Daughter of Essus, so all may know her as a true Princess of the Unseelie Court.

Essus's breath hitched slightly, his flame-colored eyes closing briefly, before, with a tender smile that stole Heulwen's breath, he leaned over and kissed her softly.

"A good name," he whispered to her, and she smiled in agreement.

A good name, for the daughter of a good man.

A/N: Here you go, sweetheart! I hope you like it!

Heulwen – Welsh. Pronounced HEIL-wen. Mean's "Sunshine".